Are Sunderland in a relegation battle? You bet! That was the gist of Martin O'Neill’s post-match analysis after watching his Black Cats slump to defeat at Norwich

That was the gist of Martin O'Neill’s post-match analysis after watching his Black Cats slump to defeat at Norwich.

The 2-1 reverse at Carrow Road means Sunderland find themselves in the same situation O’Neill inherited when he started work on Wearside 12 months ago – 14 games played, fourth-bottom and just a point above the relegation zone.

When O’Neill first arrived at Sunderland he made it quite clear he was taking over a club involved in a relegation dogfight and he knows he is in a similar scrap now.

Asked whether Sunderland were now officially in a relegation battle, O’Neill said: “When you look at our position in the league, although the teams are quite tight together it would suggest exactly that.

“Until you gain the requisite number of points I am not so sure you can ever think anything else.

“You need the points – simple as that.

“We do not have enough points on the board and we need to try and rectify that.

“It is a battle for us, as it was last season, and we have to pull through.”

O’Neill’s concerns are with good reason.

A return of just 13 points from 14 matches – albeit Sunderland have a game in hand over most of the clubs in the top flight – is not good enough.

While the players may try to put a brave face on it, confidence is low.

O’Neill needs to find a way to recreate the galvanising effect he had on the dressing room when he first arrived.

That saw him transform a side which had won two of its first 14 games into one which won seven of his first 10 in charge.

O'Neill proved at Norwich the players still respond to him, his half-time team talk sparking a dramatic turnaround.

The Wearsiders turned in a real Jeckyll and Hyde performance at Norwich – two halves of football which bore absolutely no resemblance to one another.

The first-half was a horror show. Pure and simple.

Sunderland could not string three passes together and defended abysmally – and Norwich took full advantage to race into a two-goal lead in a little over half an hour.

Craig Gardner pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time, but the 2-1 scoreline did not do Norwich justice.

The second half was a different matter.

Sunderland were the side in the ascendancy and creating chances and it was Norwich who were on the back foot.

Gardner hit the woodwork with a free-kick and Matt Kilgallon missed an open goal from the rebound.

Gardner had another shot cleared off the line, Sessegnon brought a save out of the goalkeeper and half-time substitute Connor Wickham saw a goal disallowed for offside.

If Sunderland had taken their chances, they could have won.

However, it was the first-half display which did the damage and everything after that turned out to be too little, too late.

VERDICT:
Sunderland cannot afford to give any side a two-goal head start.

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